Sometimes the PDN gets things kind of right, even if they don't necessarily mean to, and do so with more verbiage than is required. So let's just boil down the article about King Jim's PABA presentation to its essentials:
"The design of the EDC board is to have the center of gravity in the private sector," McEntire told the group.
Breakfast meeting participant Harry Bell, chief forester at Green Crow, a Port Angeles timberland investment and management services company, noted there were no private sector representatives on the board.
Ring that Bell!
Ring that Bell!
So private they aren't even invited?
More like McEntire probably wanted to wring Harry's neck when he made that statement of the truth. This whole scheme is so insanely obvious, but I'm sure McEntire doesn't appreciate undue attention being paid to the fact that it is, in fact, a scheme, a sham.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the folks at Green Crow are just upset at not being invited to stick their fingers into the public money pie.
ReplyDeleteThe owner of Green Crow is on the board. Two brothers, owners of a timber hauling company are on the board. There are several private sector representatives on the board. Why can't the private sector fund the EDC?
ReplyDeleteThe chamber of commerce claims it has over 500 members. ( a figure I doubt) They are the main beneficiaries of a fully functional EDC. Why can't they provide sufficient funding for the EDC? Oh, right, they are pretending to wrangle tourists to come for their vacations here.
With 500 members, each putting up only $1000 each, we would not need to raid the Opportunity Fund. Don't these guys talk to each other? Hey Mr. McEntire, go to the chamber and ask for funding. They would laugh you out of the room.
The article in the PDN only mentioned governmental members...You say something different. Maybe you're thinking of the old board, before King Jim winnowed it down?
DeleteHere are the board members of the EDC according to their Annual Report:
ReplyDeleteEDC Board of Directors
Kaj Ahlburg
Port Angeles Business Association
W. Ron Allen
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Charlie Brandt*
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Don Butler
High Energy Metals
Francis Charles
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Brad Collins
City of Port Angeles
George Eastman
Individual
Rod Fleck*
City of Forks
Ken Hays*
City of Sequim
Diana Johnson
North Peninsula Building Association
Randy Johnson*
Green Crow
Brian Kuh*
Craft3
Eric Lewis
Olympic Medical Center
Marty Marchant
Platypus Marine, Inc.
Colleen McAleer
Port of Port Angeles
Mike McAleer
RE/MAX 5th Ave
Jim McEntire
Clallam County
Bill Peach
Forks Chamber of Commerce
Mike Rainey
Makah Tribe
Shelli Robb-Kahler
Sequim Chamber of Commerce
Luke Robins
Peninsula College
Doug Sellon
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Bruce Swenson
Atlas Trucking
Dan Wilder, Jr.
Wilder Auto
*EDC Board Officers
Perhaps you didn't read the part of the article that explains that the plan is to shrink the board from 28 members to "about 16." Perhaps you didn't see the list of governmental agencies and municipalities that will send representatives to be board members - with NO private sector members listed.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you're just mistaken. Or perhaps you're trying to confuse the issue. After all, if Harry Bell works for Green Crow, and someone from Green Crow was on the board, well gee, why would Harry have said what he did?
In any case, here are some excerpts from the PDN article to bring you up to speed:
“The design of the EDC board is to have the center of gravity in the private sector,” McEntire told the group.
Plans call for members of the EDC board to consist of representatives of area tribes, Peninsula College, Olympic Medical Center or Forks Community Hospital, the Port of Port Angeles, Clallam’s three cities, a county representative from each of the three commissioners districts, a county commissioner or administrator, possibly a non-voting “senior policy adviser,” and a City Council member, city manager or mayor representing all three cities, according to a handout McEntire distributed before the meeting.
The board, which would be cut from 28 to about 16 members, would be chaired by a person who would be separately recruited and appointed by the board.
Breakfast meeting participant Harry Bell, chief forester at Green Crow, a Port Angeles timberland investment and management services company, noted there were no private-sector representatives on the board.
City Councilwoman Cherie Kidd said the board has had numerous government representatives because that’s where the EDC’s “sustaining” money comes from.
Greenwood, who did not attend the commissioners’ meeting when the EDC funding was approved, also did not attend Tuesday’s breakfast meeting.
“I’ve been advised by the board to do the work and not be necessarily the person out there explaining it,” he said Tuesday.
So, please do update your notes, otherwise, we're likely to just think of you as a troll. Thanks.
I saw the old list of board members on their website as well. Obviously, KIng Jim has made some changes to it since then, as reflected in the article.
DeletePay no attention to what Uncle Jim says, see what gets to ink on paper. He takes no ownership of what comes out of his mouth and will change his message depending on the audience.
DeleteBTW you get no points for accuracy by re-quoting the PDN
And you believe the PDN?? Those of us that were there heard that at the proposal detailed that least 7 of those listed "representatives" of the cities, county and port, were prohibited from being staff or electeds, but were "private citizens". That answer was given to Harry, as well as additional explanation in the handouts to the rest of us.
DeleteIt also kind of goes without saying that, even if there were no changes to the board membership (long version) listed above, it would still be possible for Jim McEntire to ram through whatever he wants, so packed is that list with fellow (right-wing) travelers. Dan Wilder is going to put on the brakes? Kaj Ahlburg is going to object to sleazy maneuvers? I don't think so.
DeleteI think it is a valid point, though. If McEntire wants "The design of the EDC board is to have the center of gravity in the private sector.", then the private sector should carry the costs.
ReplyDeleteBut, is this really what is going on? How true do King Jims' words and actions ring? He SAYS he wants it to be all about "the private sector", but the make up HE proposes has no private sector participants?!
Coming from a real chuckle headed bureaucrat, is he just saying the pro-forma words he has learned so well over his career? Is this just more of the same, where these governmental entities justify their positions, but continue to accomplish nothing?
Look at the make up of his hand out. If he really accomplishes this, what is there to worry about, other than more of what has been going on here: hare-brained ideas and spending money to accomplish nothing.
Isn't it abundantly clear by now that this crew cannot do anything of substance? How many examples do we need? How many years of nothing do we need to see?
Why do we keep playing along?
"How many years of nothing do we need to see?"
DeleteGreat question. Judging from the recent elections here - Jim Hallett running unopposed for the Port, four unopposed races for City Council, all the dirty dealings in County Commissioner races - the majority of voters obviously haven't had enough years yet.
Presently the "center of gravity" is 85% tax money and 15% dues paying members. The members get all the benefits, such as they are, and the taxpayers get the bill. Real conservative principals at play eh?
DeleteI have to wonder if this...show of spite by Harry Bell means there's some sort of bad blood between the usual extraction industries land raping right wingers and good ol' boy Jim McEntire. His comment was notable given the context, and the setting.
ReplyDeleteWith all McEntire's talk of "streamlining" and "slimming down" the EDC board, we may have to start calling him King Slim Jim.
ReplyDelete"Streamlining" means "removing drag." Drag is caused by rules and people who don't agree with you.
ReplyDeleteRod Fleck, city attorney for the city of Forks likes to remind everyone of his 18 years on the EDC. I wish someone would ask him, "what has been accomplished in these 18 years besides spending countless tax dollars and back slapping at private parties?
ReplyDeleteHeckuva job, Roddy!
DeleteBut, seriously, why is there no metric for organizations that take public money? Year after year taxpayer monies are spent on vague promises such as "jobs!!" and year after year those jobs don't materialize. The solution? Get more grants! Spend more taxpayer money!
I would support organizations like the Incubator, Haborworks and the EDC if I thought they were doing their jobs, if I thought we were getting a return on our money. But the money vanishes as quickly as their promises and we're expected to cough up more.
That's why I'm shocked by the PADA/PAU situation last summer. Not that it makes up for all the other waste, but it's surprising that our government actually held one of these many organizations accountable. The cynic in me is just dismissing this as in-fighting, or a fear of losing public money through inaction, but I'm hoping there's a change here.
http://portocallpublishing.com/2015/02/21/mcentire-speaks-at-north-olympic-peninsula-phone-tree/
ReplyDelete